suspended perch

[T-buckhorn]

I have a question for all of you. I have been fishing a local clear water lake in Ohio. Everyone there and on this site are saying to fish a few inches to a few feet off the bottom. I am fishing in 14'-16' of water and I am graphing very few fish on the bottom. Most of the fish I am catching are suspended between 6'-9' . I am not catching many perch but I have picked up some real nice ones(two yesterday that were over 11 1/2"). Should I try to fish the bottom or continue targeting the suspended fish?  Also is it normal for pearch to be suspended if not what might be the reason for this?

[T-buckhorn]

I am in north east Ohio we still have 9+ inches of ice on the smaller lakes. Some of the ice got a little weak around the edges but for the most part we still have really good ice.

[Germ]

Well to be honest with ya you would be hard pressed to Locate perch with a fish finder because they hug the bottom so tightly. SO the fishfinders are fruitless to you for bottom Perch. They will appear to you on the finders AS the bottom. (I have a friend that use's them but never sees them either ...even though we catch them...He see's them on the finder after he has one hooked and is coming up)  As for suspended perch...Well they have to feeed also and if there is a school or Minnows or other bait fish or fry hatches of freash water shrimp then they will hang around anywhere there is food as long as they arn't a target as well. Anyhow keep hugging the bottom. Try differnt methods of fishing for them. Im primarily a PErch fisherman in the winter so..Ice Fishing for Perch is my Area of info. try small tear drop lures baited with powerbait maggots...3-6 off the bottom ..bounce for 5 then sit jig up for one beat wait one beat then jig up for one beat then restart, if they stilla rnt biting after 15 mins Move to another hole and start over. Perch move all over all day long they schoola nd feed and stay alive. Think like a perch to catch one. TIght lines!

[IceGeek]

Sometimes fish will start to suspend if there is severe oxygen depletion in a lake.  This usually occurs on smaller shallower lakes.  Only a thought.....

[Perchaddict]

Normal or not T-buckhorn, if you are catching them that way, why stop.

Perchaddict

[grumpymoe]

i'm with germ on the perch hugging bottom.. they may move up slightly to hit your presentation, but almost always stay close to cover to escape predation. i must say, that i have caught perch that have occasionally fed on the top water, but only in summer. if you can find a spot to sight them visually, you will see what i mean. grump

[Germ]

Ya i mean They WILL come up for stuff but as a Norm i catch em on the bottom even in really deep water they still hug bottom. This is winter fishing ...in the summer i fish a lake that ISnt over 5 feet lots of weeds that come to the top of the lake...Anyhow i use a spin lure through there just a foot from the top...They hit it there which is 4 feet up for them but becasue the lake is nothing but CAmo for them because of the weeds they feel safe enough to come up and hit it. Anyhow Personally for me like i have said The perch In my opinion Are bottom huggers for the most part. Tight lines and good luck.